Life-saving device.



E. E. HILLS.

LIFE SAVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1913.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

ATTORNEYS ERNEST E. HILLS, OF MEDINA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO HARVEY B.

BLUE, OF MEDINA, WISCONSIN.

LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ERNEST E. HILLS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Iiledina, in the county of Outagamie and State of Wisconsin, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Devices, of which the following is a spccili cation.

My present invention relates to life preservers for ships, my object being to provide a container which will receive and hold a person upright in the water and protect such person from the water, floating wreckage and other conditions under which the usual form of life preservers would be unavailing.

A further object of my invention is to provide a container of such nature that the same with others may be conveniently stored on ship board and readily and quickly placed in operation in case their use is required.

Other and further objects of my inven tion will be apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which-- Figure l is a central vertical sectional view taken through the container consti tuting my improved life preserver; Fig. 2 a top plan view thereof, the cover being partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken through a portion of the device substantially on the line 3-3 of F 2; Fig. at is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating one of the locking devices in a front elevation; and, Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section taken through the side opening substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to these figures, the container constituting my improved life preserver comprises a body A and a cover B therefor, the bod i A being cylindrical in form and gradually enlarging from its lower end which is tightly closed by means of a curved base or piece a, the upper portion of the body being flared outwardly, as shown at a, and its extreme edge being provided with a supplemental annular strip a having an upwardly projecting portion adapted to telescope within a depending portion of a similar supplemental strip 6 secured around the lower edge of the cover Specification of Letters Patent.

Appfication filed April 7, 1

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

913. Serial No. 759,375.

13, the latter being of truncated conical form.

The cover B is connected to the body A. at one point by .means of a hinge C of peculiar formation, this hinge embodying a plurality of flexibly connected leaves whereby the cover may be moved with respect to the body for some distance in an axial line with-- out interference in order that the cover and body may be securely, conveniently and firmly connected in wate1.'-tigl1t relation.

As seen by particular reference to Figs. 1 and 3, the lower edge 5 of the cover B is curled inwardly in order to provide space between the same and the supplemental strip 7) for the reception of a flexible packing strip 6 with which the upper edge of supplemental body strip a engages when the cover is locked upon the body.

At equidistantly spaced points around the body A adjacent its upper edge, are inwardly projecting hooks (Z with which are adapted to engage the cam levers (Z mounted between the ends of connecting bars D, the opposite ends of which are pivoted by transverse bolts and the like through stationary apertured blocks (Z secured through the cover B and projecting inwardly therefrom adjacent its lower edge. These devices constitute the fastening means for securely, conveniently and firmly holding the cover upon the body in water-tight relation.

At a point substantially opposite to the hinge C, the cover B is provided with a sight opening 6 which is securely covered by means of a strong glass or other t ansparent disk in order to prevent the entrance of water, the cover being provided at its top with an air opening 6 The body A may be also provided at opposite points therein with rings a to receive the ends of adjustable straps E adapted to pass over the shoulders of a person within the life preserver, as particularly shown in Fig. 1, and. to prevent injury of such person when the preserver is launched.

As will be seen by particular reference to Fig. 8, the cover B is provided with a spring clip I) above each of the locking devices be fore mentioned, in order that when the preserver is in disuse, the locking devices may be swung upwardly within the cover and engaged with the spring clips, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to prevent the same from becoming broken or otherwise damaged, and to prevent them from rattling. Thus with the cover B removed, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, it will be readily seen that the bodies A of a plurality of preservers may be telescoped within one another and thus enable the nesting of the preservers and their convenient storage on board ship. It will be further seen that when necessity arises for the use of the preservers, they may be quickly and conveniently placed in commission and the cover on each preserver firmly and conveniently locked upon the body by means of the locking devices which are to be actuated by the person within the preserver, and by virtue of the fact that the cover is movable with respect to the body and for some distance in a true axial line, this latter being due to the peculiar formation of the hinge C before described.

My improved life preserver may be launched by any suitable launching means and, by the use of the straps E or other fastening members, the person within the pre server is prevented from injurious contact with the walls thereof.

I claim:

1. In a life preserver of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical body having a lower permanently closed end and gradually enlarging in diameter from said lower end, and having an upper and outwardly flaring end, a cover having a truncated conical form, the lower open end of which is adapted to telescopically engage the flared open end of the body, the said cover and body being formed of non-flexible material, and a hinge connecting the cover and body at one point and permitting of their relative movement in a true axial line whereby the cover may and evenly in water-tight relation upon the body.

2. In a life preserver of the character de scribed, the combination of a cylindrical body having a lower permanently closed end and gradually enlarging in diameter from be secured firmly said lower end, and having an upper and outwardly flaring end, a cover having a truncated conical form, the lower open end of which is adapted to telescopically engage the tlared open end of the body, the said cover and body being formed of nonficXible material, a hinge connecting the cover and body at one point and permitting of their relative movement in a true axial line whereby the cover may be secured firmly and evenly in water-tight relation upon the body, pivoted locking bars carried by the cover upon its inner side, and means carried by the cover to receive and hold the locking" bars against movement when not in use.

3. In a life preserver, a container comprising a body and a cover therefor, the adjoining edges of which are provided with telescoping portions, locking bars having pivotal connections with the cover at spaced points therearound, rigid hook members carried by the body at spaced points therearound, and cam .levers pivoted upon the free ends of the said locking bars and adapted "for engagement with the said hooks whereby to firmly and evenly unite the cover and body in fluid-tight relation.

l. In a life preserver, a container comprising a body and a cover therefor, the adjoining edges of which are provided with telescoping portions, locking bars having pivotal connections with the cover at spaced points therearound, rigid hook members carried by the body at spaced points therearound, and cam levers pivoted upon the free ends of the said locking bars and adapted for engagement with the said hooks whereby to firmly and evenly unite the cover and body in fluid-tight relation, the cover being provided with spring clips connected thereto above the locking bars and adapted to receive and hold the same when the cover is removed "from the body and the container is in disuse.

ERNEST E. HILLS. YVitnesses:

J. R. lvloLLoN, WM. MoLLoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

